Sunday Afternoon Tea

Can one have a religious retreat in the midst of ten people (four adult family, one adult special friend, and five children?).  Oh my, most definitely.

I needed to get away from it all.  Each day was running into the other while I found myself in a haze of numbness... meeting each new morning not with expectation which should come with every new twenty-four hour gift He gives.

Instead my soul was in as much of a drought as the land around me.  Not that my Friend was not there but that connection... the sense of His Presence... was as fuzzy as my cell phone service through the mountains (or as my Rocky Mountain friend says... the hills) on the way to my eastern Destination.

To be quite honest, I dreaded the 2,000 mile trip for there are days I have found it difficult to drive into town and back... physically and emotionally.  My home is familiar and fits like a tailored, warm, knitted sweater around my shoulders.  Travel opens one to interstates and toll roads and big big trucks splashing one's window in the rain and really rude people on four lane bypasses around the big cities.

But travel also leads to beautiful Destinations and lovely People and along the way we find too numerous to count Christian radio stations playing lovely music and a few favorite Bible teachers and listening to Brotheren and Sisteren from places other than my hometown .  Not to mention some oldies but goodies channels filling the car with rowdy rhythms.  ;)

While I found Peace each day sitting in a cozy chair in my daughter's master bedroom reading lovely books and quickly perusing favorite authors, Joy was also renewed playing baseball with grandchildren (although the catcher... that being moi'... missed balls as she could not keep her eyes off the amazing view).

Joy was found visiting coffee shops in quaint Connecticut towns, sorting through dusty volumes in a used book store, enjoying the most amazing food cooked by my daughter, and just being with lovely people... not perfect by any means (for most were related to me and I can tell you they would be imperfect just for that reason)... but lovely.

He knew all along... He knew I needed more than just absorbing the Wisdom in the books and once again knowing His Presence as I read the works of the Puritans and Piper and Schaeffer (Susan, not her parents) and Alcorn and other wonderful authors.  But I also found that some refreshment comes only in the presence of gifts He has given here on this planet... family and sweet friends.

I believe He tried to teach us that in the Gift of His Word.  He went to weddings and had dinner with regular people and turned mourning into joy at a fish fry after the Resurrection... and He was the Cook.  He promises us a someday Wedding Feast and tells us to love our neighbor as our self and to not forsake the assembling together.

I came back refreshed in spirit and soul even if I needed days to recover physically.  Days to read books and Scripture and think of ways to write down thoughts and prayers on paper.  Days to watch a refreshing video and make apple pie and chicken noodle soup.  Days to reflect on all things learned and how to bring Springs of Life when the Days are filled with Drought.  Days to remember and smile.

A few more pictures...

Needlework at Old Sturbridge Village

I'll be back for a Sunday Afternoon Tea tomorrow (that being ummm... Sunday).  In the meantime, I have to share more pictures.

I found the needlework displays at OSV fascinating.  Imagine the work in the above display as important family dates were embroidered into Art.  There were quite a few of these on display and each touched my heart.

I loved the humor in this display.  Sorry about the flash but it was dark and these displays are all behind glass.

If you have been to OSV, you know there are many houses which have been moved to the property.  Each reflect a different level of income and the house I always love to look through would be owned by the wealthier family in the community (only because it has the most eye candy).

I could easily see myself in this room, surrounded by loved ones. 

I wish I had taken pictures of the schoolhouse, farmhouse, and Vicarage rooms but my memory card was full.  I was humbled by the chill in those rooms and it was only October.  There were no thermostats to adjust during that time... except more wood on the fireplace or woodstove. 

How simple those houses were with a combination of mostly practical items needed for daily survival and a few "pretties" here and there... a certain sign of a woman's touch.  :)

View from front yard

Just a little hint of things to come (I'm certain you will be running away from my vacation slides!!)... this is the view from Stephanie's front porch.  

We arrived after peak color but it was still gorgeous.  Everywhere we went, I felt overwhelmed by the beauty of God's creation.

Overcome by the Took-ish side...

The Tookish side took me all the way to New England... a trip planned almost but not quite at the last minute.  I think it was when Stephanie talked about kissing chubby cheeks on baby Anna that I knew I had to meet her (Anna... not Stephanie) in person, not to mention seeing her new house.

Then when she told me Sarah Clarkson would be visiting for a couple of days, I knew I just had to make my way East.

Travel is not easy for me but it was so worth it all.  I'll share more pictures later (as I'm really not back for good for a few more days... resting from the trip as the Baggins side of this Hobbit takes over again).  But I just could not wait to share at least some of our remarkable and wonderful trip.

It was wonderful to be together as a family again.  There was lots of sightseeing (New England in October... what can I say?), tea and scones, coffee shops, books (and going "booking" as our friend, Sarah, calls it), church, late night chats, friends, and fun.

Before our trip, I told Stephanie the one thing I KNEW I wanted to do was to go to Old Sturbridge Village again.  A trip planned for our first full day there... a good thing since it turned colder just a little later.

When looking through all the "Village" pictures, I realized there were only a few of David and in them he was moving!  That would be David jumping from the wagon to the... ummm... what is that???

I'm certain Stephanie will say something about posting a picture of her before she takes off the "baby weight" but I think she looks fine.

The scenery was beautiful!  Old Sturbridge Village is one of my favorite places to visit, especially this time of year.  There was lots more to do, we only saw part of the Village before heading "home" (to Stephanie's house).  I'll share pictures of her new home soon.

Oh... there was one other cute person with us but she was rather bundled up!

Pictures: All pictures taken by moi' at Old Sturbridge Village and can be enlarged by clicking on them.  

I do ask no pictures from this blog be reproduced without my permission (for obvious reasons).  :)

Sunday Afternoon Tea

My brothers and sisters, 

when you have many kinds of troubles, 

you should be full of joy, 

because you know that these troubles test your faith, 

and this will give you patience. 

Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. 

Then you will be perfect and complete... 

James 1:2-4 (NCV)

I love this Scripture, as it tells me perhaps more than any other that God has not given up on me when I go through trials... He actually designs them... just for me and where I need a little tweaking here and there to end up the person He desires.  Not that I find them joyful at the time, quite the opposite... I normally want to stomp my foot and shout out at Heavenly Places.

Yet, when I have passed through the trial, I look back and see how priceless was the experience I disliked at the time.  There is another section of Scripture which talks about faith, patience, experience, and hope... words I think of often when weary of the road I am traveling at the time.

For I know I can look back and see how keeping up the faith (often by just keeping on without giving up)... with patience... provides the experience of coming through the trial... and the hope that all will be well in the end.

Of course, when one is walking by sight and not trusting in Him... the result of any trial would be fear or dread rather than hope.  For once we have come through a difficulty... be it small or enormous... we start to wait for "the next shoe to drop"... wondering what is next and will we survive it this time.

If the news headlines are not filtered through the promise of the Word, we tend to be full of fear instead of faith.  When the rumors of further cutbacks at work come around, we feel the fear rise up within.  When the doctor's report shocks us and our world becomes upside down... we must have the Trust needed at the time... that Rock of our Salvation to stand on.

I become tense when there is too much to do and the fatigue is already overwhelming or the needs are more than the bank account shows this month.  For it is human nature to be concerned instead of believing God, especially when results of prayer in the past have not always been the yes we desired.

Sometimes He "just" helps us through and gives us the grace for each situation.  There are trials we live in each day of our life, knowing we are not just passing through but depend on His mercies being "new every morning" to walk our journey... chronic illness, disabled children, mental or emotional illness in our family, living in an area of extreme poverty on purpose to minister to others, having a vocation which takes us daily into the worst the world offers such as law enforcement or social work or an emergency room, serving in the military in a war torn world... there are many reasons many of us face possible lifetime trials.

How do we make it through in such a way which we can show God's love and compassion to others?  We realize we take life one day at a time (and in times of extreme stress... one minute at a time).  We ask ourselves if we have prayed about a situation and ask God's help.  We ask for His peace in the midst of the storm and for a gift of joy in the midst of grief and sadness.

We give Him our expectations of life and replace them with His strength.  What if we don't know Him enough to ask?  We first make certain He lives within by asking for all sins to be forgiven and accepting Christ as the Son of God who came to redeem a fallen world.  We read His Word, which tells us Who He is, Why He came, How He helps us... and all the rest of the story.

In particularly difficult times, I can only stay in the Psalms and soak in their wisdom and comfort.  It often helps to play favorite music which strengthens the soul... be it Christian in nature or familiar Classical songs or my favorite Celtic Women CD or music sung to me by my mother or music from a beloved movie... while I often prefer Christian music when down, I must admit to being cheered by the best the world has to offer, too.

Sometimes when standing on the edge of an emotional cliff, I will re-read a favorite book or pop a relaxing movie in the DVD player.  I have a few favorite Bible teachers on TV and radio whose wisdom often calms the soul.

Sometimes I will work in the garden or change around my teacup collection or bake a pie or knead bread or declutter the house or pet a cat or sweep the porch... all to take my mind off of seemingly impossible situations.  I have friends like BB (whom I have actually never met in person!) that I know understands my heart through years and years of friendship who may receive a simple e-mail with few words as she knows them all already.

But mostly, I talk to another Friend... and I don't mean down on my knees because frankly, they aren't what they used to be.  I just talk to my Friend as I go through my day, sometimes out loud but often to myself.  He is always there and never too busy to listen.  How wonderful is that old song... What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear... Oh what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.

Now... time for a break which includes much rest and a few adventures.  I may just let the Tookish side out for awhile. I'll return in a couple of weeks!

Why I believe in deepening the pantry

My original online experience was in emergency preparedness so I must admit to having quite strong opinions on the subject.  Which is why I dislike lists which tell you to purchase "this" one week and then "that" the following.  I know people who stocked up in such a way for Y2k and ended up tossing out or giving away expensive food because they stocked what other people ate and not what their family used.

(Speaking of Y2k, I have never understood why people mock those who stocked up for the possible problems when even the experts were uncertain if the original computer codes were corrected in time.  One buys insurance, hoping they never have to use it and deepening the pantry is simply insurance one can eat, if done correctly.)

I personally believe it is very important to deepen our pantry as much as we feel "led" to do so, understanding we all have limitations of available money, space, time, etc.  But not being able to do all we want should never stop us from doing what we can... speaking as one who is very limited in funds to spend as well as space.

But there is a difference between simply deepening our pantry, stocking more than we need for our immediate needs, then what would be termed food storage (ugh... which rarely works).  I learned that lesson from listening to people on my former website as they stocked up with food and supplies from the various lists going around online and in books and not from the most important list... that being their grocery list.

We do not store food just for an emergency, with the exception of some items one may want to buy for long term storage "just in case".  For instance, regular powdered milk has a very limited shelf life but the same powdered milk especially packed for long term storage will last for five to twenty years (often guaranteed for five years but some have opened after twenty year to find it useable).

The only "commercial" buttons I have on the sidebar are the Amazon widget and one that says Preparedness Pantry which is located immediately above my Deepening the Pantry links.  If you click on that "button" (which changes now and then to advertise specials), it takes you to Emergency Essentials, a company I always found a good place to order specially prepared food and emergency supplies.  I make no money from them, nor do I receive any credit... the button is simply there as a recommendation to those who want to order preparedness items.

I haven't ordered from them for years but they were then (and are now) known for exceptional customer service and quality (and there have been a lot of companies in the food storage business whom one could not trust).  If you are at all interested in some form of being prepared for any emergency, they offer not only food prepared for long term storage but various supplies which would be very welcome at such a time.

Another great company which offers unique items is Lehmans (link... here).  I have purchased oil lamps and lamp oil from them.  They just recently published a new catalog.  Lehmans sells to the Amish community as well as we "English".  :)

As I've written quite often, when you deepen your pantry with at least one "extra" item that you use all the time... you save money and time.  You are not running to the store in the middle of a recipe or at night when you find you are out of toilet paper or cold medicine!  Shudder...

When one decides to deepen the pantry so the family has enough in case of a job loss, natural disaster, man made disaster, etc., one simply continues to purchase more of the essential items until they have enough... and then they rotate by using the oldest first and the newest goes to the back of the shelves or whatever space has been allotted.

When I was able to deepen the pantry as I liked (having enough budgeted money and space), I would often have a year's worth of wheat since I purchased it only once or twice a year (and I do grind wheat for bread).  I would have a few months worth of oats for oatmeal and cooking, purchased from my food co-op in bulk.  I may have three months worth of canned tomatoes, pasta, flour, baking items, etc. which are the basis for my menus.  Then there may be a couple of weeks worth of some items which would be considered luxuries.

Before Y2k, I deepened my pantry more than usual and learned from the few mistakes I made at the time.  For instance, I stocked up on some processed foods which my family never eats and ended up giving some of them away while others worked just fine.  (My son and I actually like Spam... no, really... we do.) ;)

One of the recommendations in many books about stocking up is to purchase in bulk, which works fine for some but when one has a smaller family... it is not always the best.  I found out storing dried beans purchased wholesale did not work for my family but I used all of my beans purchased in meal size bags... go figure. 

While the power never went out, we did end up being unemployed and used just about everything on the shelves.  Having the pantry so deep meant we did not have to apply for food stamps, which at the time one had to go through Social Services who were not always the most favorable to homeschooling.  I don't know if they would have given us any problems but I was quite happy not to have an additional concern on top of unemployment.

I've developed a pantry lifestyle (having been raised with such a mindset from childhood) so it comes easily, even on an extremely limited budget.  I have my own list of priorities for the pantry, beginning with staples such as oil, butter (slipped inside zip-lock bags and frozen), baking supplies, coffee, coffee, coffee, tea, etc. through nonfood items such as paper goods, medicine, cleaning products, etc.  I do like to read lists on other people's websites, blogs, books, etc. for ideas I may have overlooked.

I've talked before about my friend in New Mexico whose grocery store shelves were nearly empty when trucks were rerouted to the Gulf after Katrina hit.  One would not expect to live in the desert and feel the affects of a Gulf Coast hurricane.  Fortunately, she is one who keeps a deep pantry and ran out of only a few essentials... and even then was quite upset she let their pantry get so low on those items.

I personally believe with our economy and so many other sections of our culture being rather unstable, everything we spend to deepen the pantry and prepare for any emergency will a good thing.  No one can do it all... but everyone can prepare even a little if we try to work around store sales.

Just this week, I was at Kroger and they had cream cheese on their 10 for $10.00 sale (mix and match with other foods) as well as Progresso soups 10 for $10.00.  So I stocked up on those two items even though it meant having less money for other grocery items I didn't need as much right then.  Except Edie's peppermint ice cream... I had to have some of that... really... it jumped in my cart.

Last week I purchased four cans of pumpkin for the pantry.  Next week I may notice flour is on sale and as I'm getting low on my supply, I may purchase two or three bags for the pantry. When there was more money available, I would notice my favorite King Arthur flour was on sale and purchase at least six bags (rotating for freshness, of course).

By having a priority list for the pantry and purchasing on sale whenever possible, it works so much better than seeing on a list that I am to buy veggies this week when none are on sale.  It also means I am prioritizing limited funds for what we need the most (I use a lot of cream cheese and I like to have chicken noodle soup on the shelf for when we have cold or flu symptoms and I don't feel like making soup from scratch). 

There are lots and lots of resources on the sidebar for anyone wanting to read more about deepening the pantry.  There are sites one can visit as well as links to articles by people who have stocked up for years on a budget.

I don't know anyone who has deepend their pantry with items their family eats (and products used) who was not very happy to have extra when it was needed.  Don't forget your furry friends when stocking up!

Added Note:  Of course, a wonderful frugal way to deepen our pantry is to garden and do our own canning and freezing and drying and smoking (ummm... that being smoking meat and fish and not other things one would grow at home).  ;)

A blog break coming soon

I'm going to be taking a little break after Sunday.   A pantry post should (hopefully!) be ready later today and I have an idea for a somewhat brief Sunday Afternoon Tea.

I wanted to let you know so you will understand why I am not here and why it is taking longer for moderated comments to show up.

Here it is quite late into October and our property is still not ready for winter.  There has not been time to finish the book I started the last week of September.  I also plan a surprise visit in the midst of busy-ness.  Once true cold sets in, more time will be available for pondering and writing and working on the recommendations list. 

A very heartfelt thank you to the anonymous blog friend who gifted me with the Amazon gift credit!  I knew exactly what to do with it and I hope to share as soon as I give my brain a blog break.  I was so surprised and I can't tell you how much it was appreciated.  :)

A continued thank you to everyone who orders from Amazon by going through my "widget".  I make certain when I use my credit to enter Amazon through my friend's link as I know she uses her credit to purchase homeschooling books.  

Comments closed on this post only...

Picture: Grandpa's pumpkins; allposters.com

My world at sunset in autumn

I decided it was time to take a few pictures yesterday evening.  Two simultaneous events encouraged the decision.... noticing that most of the leaves had fallen from a favorite tree overnight and the sun was setting, creating the most beautiful colors behind the... color.

I decided not to interrupt my husband's obvious interest in his favorite daily sports show, Chicago Tribune Live, so I made my way out to the county road alone. 

Thus, it was a very puzzled hubby who was on the front porch when I walked back up our small gravel lane later, saying he was wondering where in the world I could be.

I was walking rather fast, explaining to him that as I was taking pictures of the forest, something moved quickly... running away at such speed that I only saw the movement of bushes and leaves.  He logically explained it could be a squirrel or a possum or a rabbit or even a deer. 

Hmmm... I just assumed it was Bigfoot.

Anyhoo... below are more pictures of my world in October.  :)

The view "in" from the back yard

I just want to lay below the tree and watch the leaves...

However, the days have been almost too busy to appreciate all the color.  I say almost as there are those trees so full of color that one must gaze upon them in awe... unless one is driving... then one can only give an appreciate glance.

I'm so grateful for your comments on the last Sunday Afternoon Tea for it was one of my most personal "Tea" posts.  I know there are many making their way through the storms of life right now.

It has been quite busy here at the edge of the forest.  I've continued to get all the outside work done that I can handle in the midst of near record breaking heat (some surrounding communities did break record highs).  I can't believe how nice my kitchen windows are now, achieved with hosing the windows from outside and then deep cleaning on the inside (spiders and stuff... yuk).

Yesterday (Monday), Christopher's girlfriend traveled to our house for the first time while he had the day off from classes.  I served a very simple pot roast meal and my dutch apple pie (that recipe... here).  We had such a nice time and enjoyed her company very much.  His dad mentioned later that his son has exceptional taste in ladies. I reminded my husband he was well trained by his mother and sister.  :)

There is so much to do right now during these last warm days (too warm if you ask me) of autumn.  I'm way behind on responding to e-mails but I promise to get to them soon.  I also want to write at least one "pantry post" before the week's end.  It won't be too long before all outdoor chores are finished for the season and there should be more time to write and ponder and write about ponderings.

By the way, Stephanie has finally finished the story of their move to a new house in the midst of pregnancy and such... here.  The picture she is showing in the post is from her former house... it is so light and airy looking.  We love the same vintage look only my preferences are for the jewel and earth tone colors.  I can certainly admire the cottage style, though.

It's hard to believe it has been a year since she transformed her home into a Bed & Breakfast for her parents (that being us) as well as Clay, Sally, Joel, and Sarah Clarkson (lovely friends!).  I am blessed with a wonderful son-in-law who goes along with all the spoiling.

A belated happy Thanksgiving to all of our Canadian friends.  Last year we were driving through Upstate New York on your Thanksgiving Day and at first were quite confused by all the Holiday talk... until we realized we had picked up a Canadian radio station.  Oh... that quite explained it and we were not involved in some strange time warp.  ;)

Picture: Raking Leaves; allposters.com

Sunday Afternoon Tea

My ponderings this week were quite dream-like as the mental picture came to me in that space between deep sleep and becoming awake... where Wendy said she could be found if Peter needed her in the movie Hook.

The images were so real, I felt I could reach out and touch them... images of a tree with deep roots (as if one could look into the ground and actually see the roots as easily as the branches) being fiercely blown about by hurricane force winds.

I sensed rather than heard a Voice telling me this is what I am if I spend time with Him and let my roots grow deeply into His Word (which I have been neglecting lately).  No matter how hard the winds of trials and tribulations of life come against one of His who clings to Him... they may be ruffled a bit but never blown away and lost forever.

Every once in awhile, I have had someone remark on my deep faith and how they desire the same and I tell them... I would not wish upon you what it took to gain that faith.  For only when the roots must grow deep... do they.  It is human nature that way, we tend to run after God when we most need Him... in the storms of life.

I tend to share a lot but not all for there are seasons which I prefer not to talk much about, such as the months we all spent living in one room of a cheap motel when we returned from Iowa... all of us with flea bites on our ankles because they lived in the carpeting.  Not what one expects when helping their husband through graduate school.

Then... years later... once again we had to give up a house (and this one my "dream home") at a loss due to a year with no income and move away when the only job available was in Detroit.  Would I still Trust and Believe if I had to give up the Dream?

A couple years later, after my husband lost his job due to 9/11, we found ourselves moving with absolutely no money in our pocket and having our "biker neighbor" run to us as we were backing the U-Haul out of the driveway to tell us he felt he was to give us "this"... that being a hundred dollar bill.

It was just what we needed for gas for the U-Haul and car (and McDonald's) to get us to our destination.  Did all go well immediately?  Oh, no... for my husband and I ended up living in another room in that same cheap hotel with Christopher staying at a friend's house... again... how could it be that after rebuilding a life we would find ourselves living in the cheap hotel room... again.

From there we moved to a town house living next to a drunk, a prostitute, and teenagers whom we suspected were making meth.  But something happened in that place as I knew I was living exactly where He desired me to be... His hands and His eyes and His feet... to those who are truly Lost.

One's faith roots either grow deeper or one gives up completely.  You can see why... when I have a week that fatigue has been worse than usual or the car has broken down (again) or my slightest of desires appear not to have come true... it doesn't matter so much.

For I live in a miracle, you know.  Our own house here at the edge of the forest.  I have known what it is like to only have oatmeal to eat for three meals and to come within a half an hour of not having a place to live (although Stephanie reminds me she would never let that happen).  I once ended up in critical care because I ran out of insulin before my daughter could call my pharmacy from far away with her credit card number. It just happened that quickly... missing one shot.

It was that incident that caused my husband to realize he must apply for Disability and which... as a result of him being accepted immediately due to his bipolar symptoms from his teenage years... opened the way for us to purchase this house with a special government low income grant.  I am thankful we live in a part of the country where we can still purchase a house we can afford.

Like St. Paul, I really do know what it is like to have a lot... and nothing.   When working in a corporation... I have worn nice suits (albeit purchased half price), advised corporate vice presidents, ate at the most luxurious of restaurants, and traveled.  Later as a homeschool mom, I have enjoyed living in my dream home... not overly expensive but nice... and had "enough".  Only to have circumstances come against us which took it all away... again.

The faith and the peace did not come immediately.  There were many... ummm... talks with the Creator of the Universe as I reminded Him we did all we were told to do for success... hard work, education, etc.  I mean, really... we were tithers for goodness sake!  Why did this happen not once but a few times... this "life falling apart" stuff.

I can't explain it but somehow I just knew... as if He downloaded Truth into my soul.  There is privilege in suffering that we will never understand this side of Eternity.  But somehow I know it was True.  As my fingers have been removed from stuff and things and then becoming ill and needing Him just to get through the day... Faith and Peace took the place of Prosperity.  Has it worked out so far?

Well, when Christopher graduated from homeschooling... his three minute speech was about our "biker neighbor" supplying our need when church people had not always been kind.  After years of being homeschooled from the sofa at times, he is on the Dean's List at the University.  My daughter is compassionate and always willing to help one in need. Neither are bitter and both understand what it is like to be in need.

Right now life is a little stormy but nothing like those hurricane force winds that have come against us at times.  But it was in the the Category 5 winds that the roots in Him had to go deep enough to sustain life, to not fall over the edge.  What happens when your roots grow deep?  You are strong enough for others to hold onto when the storms appear in their life.

Sometimes it is just good to know... He is enough.   If we only end up with Jesus and nothing then that is fine, one could not ask for more.  It is not the American way but perhaps if it had been... things would be a lot better.

Over at The Perfect Pantry

My home pantry(s) are being shown over at The Perfect Pantry today.  You can find it... here.

It contains recent pictures of my yellow pantry and my shower pantry.  The picture of my garage pantry was from last winter.  It is not quite as neat right now or as full!

I very much enjoy The Perfect Pantry blog all the time and especially when we get to peek into other people's pantries.  Much like driving down a street on a dark night and looking through the windows into the well lit rooms... now, don't tell me you never do that!  ;)

I hope to write a couple more pantry posts at the end of this week.  Today I will be working on the Book Recommendations list in between a couple household chores.

Picture: Housewife Taking Canned Goods; allposters.com

I think I've become a bear of little brain...

It could be the cooler weather or perhaps the change of seasons... but my mind  is quite foggy.  Worse than usual.  I have decided I am on the way of becoming quite like Pooh... not only my rounder waistline but in the way my brain works now and then.  Of course, one could do much worse than become Pooh-like.

I have fond memories of walks and bicycle rides when Stephanie was quite young, as we followed Pooh tracks searching for his sticks.  What can I say... we have quite active imaginations.  :)

I am looking forward to more peaceful days ahead after a week of busy-ness.  For the first time in months, my dishes have stacked up into the second day!  But after being gone most of the day and then fixing dinner... all I want to do is rinse the dishes and give them a promise of more attention later.  However, tomorrow looks less hectic so I can see some good deep cleaning ahead.

I had the strangest thing happen today as my number of Followers went down by quite a few.  Normally, I would rarely notice the number but the fall was quite startling.  Sometimes I have had this happen after recommending books or movies or TV shows or... whatever... which some may deem inappropriate. 

Which usually happens after I admit my obsession with NCIS or that one of my all time favorite episodes of a TV show was Bad Blood on the X-Files.  Hmmm... I have learned not to let numbers going up quickly get me giddy... nor falling just as quickly get me down.  Sigh... I bet it was my longing to have tea with Ratty and Mole.

The leaves are turning beautiful shades of gold and rust with a little red here and there.  We are definitely not near peak, yet... but pretty.  I can once again see my neighbor's red barn from the front porch.  That alone should make me happy. 

I was driving on a "near country" road close to campus this morning when two flocks of Canadian geese passed over the car so closely, I thought I could reach out and touch them... what Christopher calls a National Geographic moment.  All signs of the season... although I hope it does not mean early winter and those birds know something I don't.

With the cooler weather, there has been the mixing together of soups and stews and just last week, I made a double batch of my favorite pumpkin cookies... recipe here. These now surpass my cowboy cookies as the most requested by friends.  Right after frosting, I press about a dozen of them into finely chopped walnuts or pecans for those who love such nutty additions.

Oh, I have been asked how I have pumpkin!  I stocked up on it during the Holidays last year, as I do every year (canned pumpkin in the pantry and cranberries in the freezer).  I think I have one can left and I hear there may be another shortage this year due to the wet spring.

E-mails are a little passed due (as well as dishes and vacuuming) but soon... very soon... they will be caught up.  Hopefully.  Prayerfully.  Soon.

Changing with the seasons

My summer decorating tends to be of the... taking away... style.  As the days have shortened and the weather grown cooler, I brought out some items from the closet and did some "decorating by switching" from one room to another.

The rather large tapestry style pillow on the blue chair was one of the items which had been stored through the summer.  It adds a touch of light to a dark room, as well as cozy-ness.  :)

The beautiful basket with dried flowers was a surprise gift from my husband.  He saw it at the Feast in one of the tents where people were taught how to make dried flower arrangements, they also had some for sale.

It was very inexpensive (especially compared to what one would pay elsewhere) and we both loved the basket and the arrangement.  I was so surprised when he said he wanted to buy it and we'd "switch around the budget" when we arrived home.

I spend a lot of time in this room in cold weather, as it is my favorite place to read... on the sofa... which means this is my view.  Unless I am looking straight ahead and then I only see the other (full) bookcase.

We have bookshelves in every room but these are the tall shelves which at one time stood on either side of a fireplace in our former house.

I tweaked the top of the buffet cabinet, making it even more autumnal, by bringing in candlesticks from another room and switching the silk flowers from the table to these candlesticks.  I also added another tea cup from my collection.  I like this much better than it was before.

One of the first things my daughter taught me from her interior design classes was the need for a "vertical element".  That is what this display was missing before but with the addition of the candlesticks... it is complete.

Once again, sorry for having to use a flash but when one lives at the edge of a forest and has a large front porch... the light in this room is limited.  :)

All pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them... but then you will see I have not dusted in awhile.

Books read in September

I didn't get as much reading accomplished as I would have liked in September.  As we finally had cooler weather, I had to get a few gotta do's... gotta done.

I'm finding the same to be true of early October.  Yesterday I spent a couple of hours cleaning our porch.

Nevertheless... I did get some reading accomplished.  :)

I poured over Frugal Luxuries and Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons by Tracey McBride.  As I have mentioned before, these are among my all time favorite books (even before she became a friend).

I have a shelf of books in my bedroom which I reach for not only to find inspiration but just give myself a mental vacation... these two are definitely among them.  Both are full of stories and ideas about living a frugal life with elegance.

Food Security for the Faint of Heart (subtitled "Keeping Your Larder Full in Lean Times) by Robin Wheeler.  I bought this paperback with Amazon credit... which I could never do without YOU!  Wheeler is a Canadian writer about herbs, sustainable gardening, and "deepening the pantry".  I'm still reading through the book as it has so much wisdom to offer.

She writes about serious subjects with such humor.  For instance, two titles are "Men Will Come with Guns and Take Your Food" followed by "Women Will Come with Food and Take Your Guns".  This little book is a gem for experienced pantry deepeners as well as to give to someone to help them realize why deepening the pantry is a good idea.

The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett.  This is one of my Victoria books... those titles which I first read about in the old Victoria Magazine.  You may have noticed it is also on my October list of books to be read as I'm only a third of the way into it.  It's hard to believe this was written over a hundred years ago.

It is about village life on the seacoast in Maine... long ago... a true classic.  Like many older books, it moves a little slow and I've found it reads best when I can concentrate on it... but it weaves beautiful stories of a long forgotten New England way of living.

Nigella Bites... what can I say... I love to read any cookbooks by Nigella Lawson.  I was thrilled to find this at the used book room of the local library for just a few dollars.  I think I'm going through a British cook phase as I also love to watch Nigella and Jamie Oliver at Home on the new Cooking Channel.

Autumn by Susan Branch... Love, love, love this little cookbook.  Did I mention how much I love this book?  While I also enjoyed her Summer cookbook, this one has so many of her illustrations and good recipes from my favorite time of the year... what is there to not enjoy?  I read through all of her books throughout the year just for fun and inspiration (and great recipes).

I am still working on the Recommendations list (which was over thirty pages of printouts).  Hubby has been working on the desktop computer continuously but I see a chance coming soon to kick him off have him do some outside work.

I love having book recommendations for those times when I am at the library sale or used book room.  For instance, I have read recommendations of Gilead by Marilynne Robinson so when I found it for a dollar... I immediately bought it and placed it on my "to be read" shelf.

A wonderful place for recommendations (one of the best on the web) is Sherry's Semicolon blog... here.  Especially her Saturday Review of Books.  Of course, many of you know that already.  :)

By the way, all of my "Books Read" through the year are listed on the Books Read in 2010 page on the sideboard... without reviews.

Picture:  Art & Literature; allposters.com

Feast of the Hunter's Moon

 

The alarm clock went off way to early Saturday morning, it felt as if I had just fallen asleep.  Just for a moment I wondered if it was worth getting out in the cold and rain... but only a brief moment.  For we were traveling to The Feast.

My picture album is full of family pictures from previous Feast of the Hunter Moon weekends, when we were a family of four and once even five (the year our future son-in-law was there)... I think that was the same year our best friends from Iowa came to attend the Feast with us.

The Feast of the Hunter's Moon is one of the largest reenactment celebrations in the nation, taking us back to the 1700s when the French traders, various native American tribes, British, and homesteaders all shared the land around the fort beside the Wabash river.  The last numbers I was able to find said the average is 60,000 people who attend and 8,000 participants (over two days).

The rain was just subsiding as we pulled into the parking lot to catch one of the dozen or so shuttle buses... the conditions exactly what our family calls Feast Weather... a cool fall day with a little drizzle.  All around us in the bus, people were chatting as we headed through forests of trees just changing color, toward the river... and then... a collective gasp from those who had never seen the Feast before.  I smiled, for it always that way, always that reaction... shear magic... Narnia magic.  :)

My husband and I stepped off the bus and immediately were enveloped in the aroma of hundreds of wood smoke fires as well as the food being cooked in dutch ovens and other cast iron cookware over acres of land.  

I teared up a bit, really, really missing the rest of the family right then... wishing they were there to share the experience but soon we were enjoying all the sights to see... food to taste... fife and drum corps... fiddlers... dulcimers... and numerous reenactments going on in the midst of thousands of others.

A lovely day on the banks of the Wabash, more memories to add to the collection... budgeting of money and time... walking until we were both worn out... but well worth it.

I wish I could share the scents and the tastes and songs and other feelings but at least I can give you some pictures...

Just a wee bit of all there was to see this year.  Just for a few hours, I truly felt I was in another time and another place.

While I am very thankful for our modern conveniences, it is good to remember a time when we all lived closer to the land and the great rivers of America were our highways.